Tuft yarn spool and method of making the same



Nov. 8, 1932.

TUFT YARN SPOOL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 26. 1951 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

R. E. \II'ICKERMAN 1,887,342

Patented Nov. 8, 1932 ROBERT E. vIcKnRMaN, or rn'rtanntrina rnnnsvnvanmTUFT YARN SPOO -AND METHOD or MAKI GJT E' SAME Application filed January26,1931. serial No. 511,171.

The present invention relates to yarn spools employed in the weaving oftufted pile i'tabric's and relates more, particularly to an improvedspool and method ofinaking the same.

. some of the objects of the present invention are to provide anentirely new form of yarn spool; to provide a new method of forming yarnspools; to provide a yarn spool wherein provision ismade for selfanchoring the yarn so that relatively short ends are attached to thespool andaccurate setting with a minimum of Waste takes place; toprovide a spool which is light, inexpensive to manufacture and embodiesfeatures of advantage not present in any spools heretofore devised ormanufactured; to provide a yarn spool which makes the use of a holdingclamp unnecessary; and to provide other improvementsas will hereinafterappear.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 represents a blank showing one stepin the method of forming a spool in accordance with the presentinvention; Fig. 2 represents the same after two steps in the methodshave been completed; Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 2;Fig. 4 represents a perspective of the partially complete spool afterthe shaping and welding steps; Fig. 5 represents a side elevation ofarfinished spool embodying the invention; Fig. 6 represents aperspective of a partially formed blank show ing another embodiment ofthe invention;

and Fig. 7 represents afperspective of a por-' tion of the spool bodyafter formation prior to the attaching of the spool heads.

Referring to thedrawing one form of the 7 present invention consists ofa body 10 which forms the core for wrapping strands of yarn for lateruse 1n a loom for weav ng tufted fabrics. The body 10 isrprovidedwithend flanges 11 for the purpose of preventing displacement of thestrands axially from the ends. In the present instance the body 10 is oftubular construction and is formed with a' row of teeth 12 whichparallel the long axis of the body 10- in relatively close proximity toa groove 13 also extending lengthwise of the body and parallel to theaXis thereof. While the part 13 is specified generally as a clearancebeneath the teeth 12 to give thelatrter an overhung relation so that theyarn strands pass respectively betweenthe teeth to be moresurely-anchored. This construction isalso designed to interrupt aslittle as possiblethe general cylindrical shapeof the body and asa;result .afiter one layerof yarn strands has beenfwrapped about the body10, the t.eeth 12 and clearance groove 13 V are concealed and thewrappedyarn has the appearance of a true .cylinderthroughout the length of thebody. Thus. while preserving the usual outer appearance of a Wound.spool the new article-conceals a novel holding or anchoring means forthe end of every. strand I onthe body. The ends of the body 10' arerespectivelysecured to headsor flanges 11 of a diameter to permittheproper buildup of the yarn asitisreele'dupon the body 10.

,grooveit really functionsv as a depression or' The method ofmaking thespool of the present invention consists in first stamping tangular blank 30 of sheet metal bythe use of a die designed to shape and'aceuratelyshaped to complete in the same operation'the" the rowlof teeth 12. alongone edge of ,arecform the teeth.) Preferably the die is also groove13which runslongitudinally of the .blank and parallel tothe rovi of teethbut lo- .cated: near the. opposite edge of the blank.

from the teethi12. As so formed the blank is i then rolled about amandrel or other suitabletool to bring to substantially cylindrical,shape butwiththeteeth 12 overlapping the grooved edge of the blank. I Inthis position the teeth .12 project over the groove 13 sothat thereislfull clearance for the placing of each y Y yarn strandinone oftheslits between the teeth. The overlapped ends are then welded alongthe line ofcontact 14 so that the resulting tube isto all'intents andpurposes an integral body having an outer smooth periphery interruptedonly" by the groove 13 with its overhanging teeth 12. The heads or,

flanges 11 are now swaged. expanded,-welded or otherwise madefast'to theends of the body 10 and the new spoolis complete and "ready forusexTheheads 11 are each'ofdisc form having projecting axially disposedends 20 which journal the spool for rotation during winding andunwinding operations.

In the form of the inventionshown in Figs. 6 and 7 a blank 14 of sheetmetal is first preferably formed with two rows of teeth 15 and 16 alongtwo opposite edges thereof, while a groove 17 is pressed into the metalin close proximity to one of the rows of teeth. The blank so formed isthen rolled to tube shape with one row of teeth superposed upon theother and then welded in such position. This construction'not onlyprovides the desired overhanging comb with the clearance groove but alsoa row of teeth, each of which is of double thickness and so capable ofresisting bending and displacement in use. In

some instances it may be found desirable to roll the blank so formedwith a groove into its substantially cylindrical shape prior to formingthe teeth and in this case the two straight edges of the blank arebrought together around the mandrel and thenwelded permanently together.The teeth are then milled or ground into the edgeof double thickness tocomp'letethe'comb. The final step is the securing of the spool heads tothe body as heretofore explained.

It will now be apparent that a new method and article for winding yarnshas been devised whereby .each strand of the yarn is anchored at one endto the article and can be embodied in various other forms withoutdeparting from the present invention. It is further to be understoodthat where the term groove is used it may not necessarily always berolled into the blank and is to be understool as being included in anybending operation of the blank which would form a clearance spacebeneath a row. of teeth.

Having thus described my invention, I a

wound evenly and accurately to form acomplete wound spool ofsubstantially uniform d mensions. Furthermore for the spool of thepresent invention it is no longer necessary to draw the yarns across thebody of the spool for a considerable-length in order that they be held;while a clamp bar is placed in position to hold the yarn ends. Theseextended ends of the yarn result in a tremendous waste when taken in theaggregate, all of which is I avoided by the construction of the presentinvention. Furthermore this pulling of the yarn taut by the operatortakes place in groups of yarn strands and gives a converging effectwhich leads to improper crossing oft-he strands so that thereis alsoconsiderable waste when unwinding due tofthe unusable condition of thesecrossed strands. This disadvantage is entirely avoided by the presplacebecause these last convolutions of the yarn strands cannot unwind andhang loose and tangled over the side of the tuft frame.

In spools as heretofore used this is a common fault and these unwrappedends have to be out off and add to the loss.

- l/Vhilebut two forms of the present invention have been here shown byway of example it is understood that the invention is not specificallylimited to either but may be

